Borough failed to check on £1.6m school bonuses

A London council failed to make proper checks on a school that paid senior staff £1.6 million in bonuses, a report has found.

The Audit Commission launched an investigation into the relationship between Copland Community school in Wembley and Brent council after a whistleblower revealed the payments were being made.

Last month police said the Crown Prosecution Service had given them the go-ahead to launch a formal investigation into the bonus payments. A council spokeswoman said: "The report praised the council's handling of the investigation and made a number of recommendations to improve monitoring procedures."